


Linchpin

by ashleybenlove



Series: Ashley's OT6 [40]
Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Presents, February 29, Gen, Leap Day, Marriage Proposal, Multi, OT6, Polyamory, Polygamy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22949005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashleybenlove/pseuds/ashleybenlove
Summary: Hiccup's 20th Birthday at Dragon's Edge involves being asked a question.
Relationships: Astrid/Fishlegs/Hiccup/Ruffnut/Snotlout/Tuffnut, Gobber the Belch & Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Stoick the Vast, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Toothless
Series: Ashley's OT6 [40]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1023567
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	Linchpin

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because yeah, it’s Hiccup’s birthday (February 29th!), per the books. 
> 
> This takes place during Race to the Edge.

Hiccup turned twenty on Dragon’s Edge. He was born on February 29, and while yes, that date came only once every four years, he typically celebrated the day before, in the actual month of his birth. Those closest to him (his Dads, Toothless, his Riders) knew his preferences.

He wasn’t quite sure what to expect from them.

The five of them had been seen putting their heads together and talking in low voices about whatever plans they must have had.

Having Toothless spy on them was not quite helpful because Toothless wasn’t telling him and in fact put his tailfins in front of his face when asked.

The dragon _knew_ something.

And the dragon was licking his face awake.

Well, that’s fun. Dragon spit on his face.

Toothless cooed at him and nudged Hiccup with his head, before laying his head on Hiccup’s chest.

“Hey, bud, morning to you, too,” Hiccup murmured. He immediately started to pet Toothless’s face. “I’m twenty,” he added, softly.

Toothless licked him again.

“Are you wishing me Happy Birthday?” Hiccup asked, looking at Toothless.

Toothless cooed again and Hiccup took that at as a yes.

“Did you want to cuddle with me before we headed to the Clubhouse?” Hiccup asked.

Toothless roared happily and immediately laid down on his stone bed. Hiccup hopped out of bed and headed towards the stone bed.

He was snuggling against Toothless when he heard the Thunder Ear horn go off and heard Tuffnut yell into the horn: “Good Morning, Dragon’s Edge!”

After announcing who was doing their morning show (the twins and Chicken), Tuffnut said, “It is February 29! Which means that our fearless leader and quite handsome friend Hiccup Haddock has turned twenty! Happy Birthday, Hiccup!”

Hiccup smiled and spent a little longer cuddling one of his best friends and listening to two of his best friends. A good way to start his day.

When the two of them were finally ready to head to the Clubhouse for breakfast, Hiccup was not really surprised but also kind of surprised to see his dads there as well.

“Dads!” Hiccup exclaimed.

“Happy Birthday, Son!” Stoick exclaimed.

“Happy Birthday, Lad!” Gobber exclaimed.

Toothless beat Hiccup to his Dads by galloping over to them and nuzzling them. They both gave Toothless the pats that he craved.

Stoick showered Hiccup in a warm, tight hug and then kissed his son’s forehead. Hiccup snuggled into his father’s embrace.

“I love you,” Stoick told him, tenderly.

“I love you, too, Dad,” Hiccup said.

After Stoick let Hiccup go from the hug, Gobber pulled Hiccup into a hug, which Hiccup immediately reciprocated. Gobber also kissed him on the forehead and Hiccup snuggled into Gobber’s embrace, this man who was as much his father as Stoick was.

“You’re a wonderful lad,” Gobber told him. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Gobber,” Hiccup said.

“Lad, I think your friends want to give you love too, so I’m gonna let you go for now,” Gobber announced, before he let Hiccup go from the hug.

Hiccup’s friends had been standing near the table in the Clubhouse clustered together watching Hiccup with his dads.

His Dragon Riders exclaimed, “Happy Birthday! We love you!” at the same time.

He was then wrapped into the arms of five people who he loved dearly, and each gave him a soft and loving kiss on his lips. He was quite content to just let them hold onto him for a long time.

The six of them ended up sitting on the floor. He was happy surrounded by Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut. Five of his best friends and partners.

“Gang, we have mixed company. Public Displays of Affection,” Hiccup said, after being kissed on the cheek for the… he kind of lost count.

“Your dads know we love you,” Snotlout said.

Hiccup saw his dads nod.

And then one-by-one, each of them took his hands. Astrid, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut took his left hand and Snotlout and Fishlegs took his right hand. Considering the fact that Hiccup’s hands were near one another, they were, in a sense, doing their six-person handhold

Hiccup sighed happily, feeling quite loved by them.

“We want you to feel like we love you, all the time. Always,” Fishlegs said. Hiccup could hear the emotion in his voice. Like, he was so close to crying.

“Because of you and Toothless Night Fury over there,” Tuffnut began.

Toothless made a sound in response to Tuffnut, from where he stood near the dads.

“We have this great thing where we’re Dragon Riders and are part of awesome tightknit group and you’re the linchpin,” Ruffnut finished.

“And it exploded into this wonderful poly situation we have,” Snotlout added.

“And, so, the five of us,” Astrid started.

“Really, eight, if you count the Dads and Toothless,” Ruffnut said.

Fishlegs shushed her.

“We thought about it, and decided on something,” Astrid said. “The five of us, if you want this, want you to be our husband.”

“We’re asking you to marry us, dude,” Snotlout added.

Hiccup felt five loving hands squeeze his two, which pulled him from the shock of what just happened.

Wow.

He just had a five-person marriage proposal.

He heard his father clear his throat and saw his father holding a sheet of parchment. He held it out for Hiccup to read.

“This is your birthday gift from me,” Stoick said. His father’s voice sounded thick.

Hiccup’s eyes focused on the parchment which read: “Chiefly Order On the Subject of Polygamous Marriage: Allowed. Any parties who wish to enter into a polygamous marriage, regardless of gender of participants or configuration of relationships within the marriage can do so.”

“So, if that’s what you wish… you can accept their proposal without worry of not being allowed to marry them,” Stoick said. “You have a choice.”

Stoick moved the parchment out of Hiccup’s face to see his green eyes shining with tears.

“Thank you,” Hiccup whispered.

“Hiccup, honey,” Astrid said. “We want you to know that no matter your decision, whether you accept it or don’t, we are with you. Always.”

Hiccup sniffed.

“So much to take in!” Hiccup exclaimed. “Yes, of course. The answer is yes, of course, I’ll marry the five of you!”

He let out a happy little sob.

“We’re going to kiss you now, okay?” Fishlegs asked.

“Yes, yes, let’s kiss!” Hiccup exclaimed.

One by one, he exchanged very happy kisses with his five newly engaged partners, their love for him and his love for them being expressed very soundly and deeply. He couldn’t help but cup their cheeks as he kissed them.

After he had finished kissing them, he paused, and then said, “Hey, are you guys marrying each other?”

“Of course!” Snotlout exclaimed at the same time Ruffnut exclaimed “Duh!”

“Good, good,” Hiccup said.

Hiccup wiped his eyes.

Toothless walked over to them, cooed at Hiccup, and then gave him a lick.

“Did you know they were planning this?” Hiccup asked.

Toothless gave a little roar that Hiccup knew to mean “Yes!”

“Oh, Toothless, you old rascal!” Hiccup exclaimed. He gave Toothless’s snout a pat.

“Yeah, we let Toothless in on the secret, and talked to your dads about our plans for your birthday,” Astrid said. “How we planned on proposing to you and how we’d actually like to follow through with it.”

“Didn’t take much for your old man to cave,” Gobber said, with a grin.

Hiccup chuckled at the mildly annoyed look on his father’s face at Gobber.

“I did it for love,” Stoick said simply.

“After all,” Stoick added, patting Toothless pointedly. “It was love that brought you six together in the first place.”

Hiccup smiled broadly at his father.

“In case it’s not clear, son, both of us are very proud of the man you’ve become,” Stoick said, gesturing to Gobber.

“Thanks, dads,” Hiccup said, continuing to smile.

A quiet moment passed and then, Snotlout said, “Hey, what’s for breakfast? I’m hungry. Aren’t you all?”

Hiccup smiled. “Yeah, I’m hungry, too. Let’s have breakfast, eh?” Hiccup stood up, as did the rest of the gang.

“Breakfast sounds like a grand idea,” Stoick said, smiling. “We have so much to celebrate.”

**Author's Note:**

> Because of this [2016 Vox article](https://www.vox.com/2016/2/29/11132284/leap-year-2016-babies-birthday-every-four-years) by Michelle Hackman (as told to her by Phil Haney), I decided that Hiccup was a 28ther.
> 
> The use of the word ‘linchpin’ (both in the story itself and the title) is inspired by the Bones season 6 episode **The Mastodon in the Room** which also uses similar phrasing to ultimately describe the character Caroline Julian. 
> 
> The sentence in which Hiccup calls Toothless ‘rascal’ is from/a reference to 101 Dalmatians (the 1961 one) (I only changed the character names).


End file.
